Ganesh idol made of conch and oyster shells. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, Sept. 18: With Ganesh Puja just a day away, puja committees here are busy giving last minutes touches to the idols of the Lord.

The Natraj Ganesh Mandal in Khetrajpur area has a unique way of celebrating the festival. Members here make the idol themselves. This year the Ganesh idol has been created with oyster shells and conch shells.

“It took us two-and-half months to build the 24ft high Ganesh idol. Around Rs 2.5 lakh have been spent on the idol. Oyster shells worth Rs 60,000 and conch shells worth Rs 1.9 lakh have been used,” said Gopal Pansari, member of the mandal.

“We organise the puja with 11 members belonging to 10 families of this locality. We have been organising the puja for the last 40 years and every year we try to make the idol in a different way. The members of the mandal contribute entirely for the puja. We do not depend on donation,” said Pansari.

The mandal had made a 14ft high idol with coconuts in 1996. “People appreciated the idol a lot. Devotees from several parts of the district thronged here to get a glimpse of the idol,” said Pansari. The committee had also made idols with bottles and bananas.

Every year thousands visit the pandal. “The crowd that gathers here for a glimpse of the Lord encourage and inspire us to organise the puja in a grand way. All the 11 members of the mandal have worked hard to make the puja successful,” said Siv Kumar Rathi, another member of the mandal.

The Ganesh puja here is a team effort. “We start preparation two-and-half months in advance. Every day, we dedicate at least four hours for making the idol,” said Rathi.